IHG returns to Sweden with a site with dual brands
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed on for a dual-brand Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express facility outside Stockholm, marking the group’s return to the Swedish market.
Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport will open in 2026 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport and are the result of a strategic collaboration with the owner company Björnbäckens Fastighets AB.
Nordic reinforcement
IHG believes that the franchise deal strengthens its presence in the Nordic markets and underlines the company’s growth ambitions for Sweden and beyond.
The dual-branded property will have a total of 420 rooms – 120 housed in the Crowne Plaza property and 300 rooms in the Holiday Inn Express hotel. It will also have a full-service conference center and gym, as well as a great bar and restaurant where you can enjoy some downtime.
The newly built hotel will cater to leisure and business travelers and will be operated by Mogotel Development Holding, a major hotel operator in the Baltics.
Franchise challenge
Miguel Martinshead of development Northern Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “As a market with a predominantly leasehold structure and dominated by domestic brands, Sweden – like most Scandinavian countries – has traditionally been challenging to conquer for hoteliers with a franchise-based business model.
“We are therefore very excited to enter Sweden with this versatile dual-brand property that is a fantastic representation of both our premium and essential brand portfolio. We are confident that this new partnership with Björnbäckens Fastighets AB will only be the beginning on our strategic expansion in the Nordic markets.”
Leading example
Alexander Yavuz, CEO, at Björnbäckens Fastighets AB, commented: “We believe that the Swedish market offers great opportunities for the hospitality industry and we are delighted to be able to launch the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express brands into the market. IHG Hotels & Resorts trusts its scale , brand recognition and international expertise and is the ideal partner to successfully grow our portfolio of hotels.”
Ivan’s DokicansChairman of the Board, Mogotel Hotel Group, added: “As an international hotel operator, we are keen to further expand our footprint in other European markets and are very pleased to add this promising project to the mix. Our strength lies in the stable growth of key figures and we believe that Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport will be a leading example of our growing portfolio.”
In addition to the newly signed Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the pipeline for the Nordics also includes two Six Senses properties: Six Senses Svart in Norway and Six Senses Össurá Valley in Iceland.